Rep. West says Congress needs to approve further Libya operations

Freshman Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) on Thursday morning said he wants President Obama to seek congressional authority for continued military operations in Libya.

In a C-SPAN interview, West said he agrees that the War Powers Act gives the executive branch the authority to commit troops for 60 days without congressional approval, but said that window has elapsed.

"I think that we've gone past that deadline, which was last Friday," West said. "So I think that the president needs to come and talk to the Congress about his plan as far as going ahead."

West said he has several questions about U.S. military plans in Libya, as briefings from the secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff did not elicit specific answers.

"I think giving a speech to the American people is not enough," West said of Obama.